University of Leeds halls of residence rent has soared by 14.52% since 2020

The University of Leeds has increased rent for its halls of residences on average by 14.52 percent since 2020, an analysis by The Gryphon has found.

With rising prices in food and energy, more than 9 in 10 higher education students reported to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) that their cost of living has increased compared to last year.

Inflation, as measured by the ONS Consumer Prices Index, currently stands at 8.7 percent, down from 11.1 percent last October.

The rent increase raises questions about the affordability of halls of residences for students.

Earlier this year the government announced a 2.8 percent uplift in student maintenance loans in England for the upcoming academic year, though because of inflation this increase will represent a real-terms cut.

The failure to increase maintenance loans with inflation has been widely criticised by the university sector, with the Russell Group warning that it mean students would lose out on £1,500 a year.

Rents for the upcoming academic year were set before the announcement by the government, with prospective students able to apply for accommodation since last November.

Most first-year students choose to live in halls because they are located within or nearby campus and have shorter tenancies which begin at the start of the first semester.

The rent for halls of residences includes energy costs, contents insurance, internet access, and off-peak membership for The Edge gym.

James Baillie Park, which is managed in partnership with Unite Students, has seen the biggest increase since 2020, with the price for the cheapest self-catered room up 16.81 percent.

Other self-catered halls including Charles Morris, Central Village, Montague Burton and Leodis are owned and managed exclusively by the University and have seen similar increases of at least 15 percent.

Catered accommodation, meanwhile, has increased by 15.36 percent, with Lyddon Hall rising by 16.15 percent.

In response to the cost of living crisis, the University announced last year that it would increase its Financial Assistance Fund, with £1.9 million made available to support students facing “genuine or unexpected financial difficulties.

The University of Leeds has been approached for comment.

Image: Josh Elgin